Razorbacks begin UTEP week

FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino met with the media Monday in the Raymond Miller Room of the Broyles Center. The Razorbacks, ranked 14th in the latest AP poll, won at South Carolina by a score of 41-20 this past weekend. UA (7-2, 4-2, SEC) turns its focus to UTEP (6-4, 3-4, CUSA), which visits Saturday for the final game in Fayetteville of 2010. The game will serve as "Senior Night" for 21 members of the Arkansas football team.

Coach Petrino commented on the win at South Carolina, noting how he sensed the Razorbacks readiness heading into the matchup.

"I think our players were mentally and physically prepared for it," Coach Petrino said. "I was a little bit worried in warm ups that we were too hyped up for it, but they did a nice job of calming down once we got into the locker room and focusing. I was real happy with the way that we played."

Individually, Razorback running back Knile Davis highlighted the game with 110 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Davis earned Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Coach Petrino saw the success of the running game seal the victory for UA.

"It really helped us a lot," Coach Petrino said. "It’s great to be able to rely on your running game, be able to have confidence in it, be able to call three or four runs in a row, and our (offensive) line was fired up. They were always saying, ‘Let’s run the ball more, we can knock these guys off,’ and obviously Knile did a good job. Him winning (SEC) Offensive Player of the Week really is a credit to not only Knile, but our front and tight ends."

As the Razorbacks prepare for their matchup with the Miners, Coach Petrino feels the team is hitting its stride at the right time. Dating back to the final game of 2008, Arkansas has won five of its last six games in November.

"The way the schedule falls, maybe it’s good for us to have this late non-conference game," Coach Petrino said. "The league games are so intense, and we’ve got a grind ahead of us. It also challenges you to have maturity in your preparation, have leadership, prepare and stay focused. That is one thing that I’ve been happy about with this team. They know how to prepare, go to work on Tuesday, grind it and understand how hard it is going to be."

The UA-UTEP game will air on ESPNU at 6 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 800-982-HOGS or by visiting www.ArkansasRazorbacks.com.